


All Our Goodbyes

by untldeathtakeme (LikeRebelDiamonds)



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2016 [15]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 15:43:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8333263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LikeRebelDiamonds/pseuds/untldeathtakeme
Summary: For the prompt: Star Trek, Ben Sulu/Hikaru Sulu, five goodbyes





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: [Star Trek, Ben Sulu/Hikaru Sulu, five goodbyes](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/741486.html?thread=98041710#t98041710)

The first time he said goodbye to Hikaru was after their first date, a group date. People had paired off quietly though the night, until they were the last two left: Ben in a deep green sweater, Hikaru in a leather jacket that took Ben's breath away. 

"I don't think this worked out like anyone expected."

"They probably shouldn't have assumed all the girls were interested in boyfriends" Hikaru grinned, dark eyes sparkling.

"No. Um, they shouldn't have." Ben said, a bit nervously, as they were the only two left. They were at Ben's building.

"Well, um..."

Hikaru grinned, and Ben wanted nothing more than to kiss him, was inwardly psyching himself up to do just that when the other man beat him to it, a warm, teasing press of lips. Ben was feeling the little shocks when Hikaru grinned and turned smartly, tossing over his shoulder.

"I'll see you Friday. Goodnight."

**  
"Hikaru, we can't go out tonight; your Finals are tomorrow. Real finals. Your last finals." Ben said, sitting on Hikaru's bed next to his boyfriend, who was laying out shirtless on the bed.

"Stop being a stick in the mud." Hikaru said, throwing a pair of very tight pants that Ben possibly thought may have been fake leather at him. He crawled up behind him, kissed the back of his neck.

"I've studied all I can study. For weeks. I've got this."

Ben almost pouted, but it was so hard to argue when his boyfriend was being so very uplifting. Rude, really, he told himself, standing up.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing the pants. I'll go get some normal pants and be back."

"But Bennnn," Hikaru said, but Ben silenced him with a kiss.

"No, now get dressed and I'll be right back."

Hikaru settled into the sheets, grinning in anticipation of a night out. "Mm.Bye."

**

"I really think this is a bad idea. You know what my life is like, you know that I'll be gone. They're talking about putting us on a five year mission. Five years. That's too long for a child to go without seeing-"

"There's this concept called 'shore leave'. I know your superiors would probably like you to pretend it doesn't exist, but it does." Ben said, beginning to get a bit short.

"That's not that point. It's also not the same-"

"You're not going to buckle on this, are you?" Ben's arms were crossed.

"No. And neither are you. Maybe we should let it go for now."

There was a long pause, two figures neither about to move(at least not yet), an awful tension that both were unused to in their smooth waters.

"I'm going to go...." Hikaru trailed off, gesturing outside, not knowing if he needed a run, a kick, a walk or a drink.

"You do that." Ben said softly, the voice of someone angry but holding it in. "Later. Bye."

**

"I can't believe you have to go already." Ben said. "It feels like you just got back."

Hikaru tore his eyes away from the bundle in his arms, tiny, fragile eyelids fluttering over dark eyes. Demora kept opening her eyes, determined not only to not sleep, but to keep eye contact with her father. Having a child was something he had hesitated about, knowing that it was likely he would miss much of her growing up, and she would miss him. 

Ben had managed to convince him,and he had spent an amazing two months with Ben, watching her come to recognize her fathers. He swallowed. He needed to be leaving to meet the transport out, but with her warm, light body in his arms, so very very right, he was finding it hard to hand her over.

Ben, however, had been a little more prepared for this, though he smirked to see Hikaru, who had hesitated over subjecting her to a life where one of her fathers was so often gone, staring so rapturously at the little face. He took Hikaru's elbow, their silent gesture for "give her to me," learned over the past two months of paternity leave. Hikaru gave her over, hand resting on the fine black hair.

"Guess it's time."

"It is. Gives you more motivation to get back to me faster. To us both."

"Mmm. Like I needed anymore."

Ben chuckled. "Go on, we'll be here. Be well,love."

**  
"We'll be back in a year."

"365 days. It sounds shorter, somehow." Ben said, a bit tightly. No amount of pep talks he gave himself had really prepared him for the weight that settled in his stomach. The idea that this could be the last moment he ever saw his husband hadn't left him since they'd announced the five year mission. He had known this may happen when he decided to be with a career Starfleet officer. It happened, people did this every day. They stayed behind. People had been doing it as long as there were exploratory fleets, as long as there had been wars.  
None of that made it easier.

The kiss was long, the embrace of arms even longer. Hikaru's hand reached up and cupped his husband's cheek, a wobbly smile on his face.

"Wait for me?" he always needed to ask, he never knew why.

"Always." was always the answer, the call-and-response a familiar note in stressful goodbyes, something for both of them to hold onto during the nights without each other.

END


End file.
